On Gendered Slurs...

We all know that female-coded or -affiliated words are often used to denigrate someone or something.  So-and-so cried like a little bitch, Mel Gibson’s girlfriend was a worthless cunt in his eyes, etc.  I don’t use those terms.  But while I was on my way to Seattle, I happened to read...

Like Mother, Like Daughter...

Like a lot of mothers and daughters, my mom and I spend time together shopping, among other things. I’m not too thrilled that some of our “family time” essentially built around consumerism, but since I tend to see her just before the holidays and other gift-giving occasions it’s...

Thinkin’ About Bitches...

Round these parts, we like bitches.  We reclaim the epithet.  We even advise you to Be A Bitch (a lot). But I’ve been thinking about men’s fear of women’s anger and power and the word “bitch.” Bitch, bitching, etc.:  these are thrown at women all the time, for any minor...

And Now For A Word On Nazis…...

For future reference: THESE are Nazis. Listen up, folks. I’m hereby banning any and all Nazi-Hitler-Holocaust references with regard to health care reform, progressivism, conservatism, Tea Party-ism etc. If you are an American and you are not discussing, teaching, or studying early 20th century...

Words To Live By (Or Without)...

In an interview she gave to the Daily Mail this weekend, Drew Barrymore was asked about the lack of good movie roles for women over 40. Drew opined: ‘I admit I’ve been fortunate. I’m not at that place yet, age-wise, and maybe when I am I’ll feel that way. But I think, “Get over it! Don’t...

You like feminism, you like books…...

…how could you not like The Feminist Press? In case you’re looking for something awesome to do in New York tonight, you might consider heading on out to Joe’s Pub (part of the Public Theatre) tonight from 6-8pm to celebrate the FP’s 40th Anniversary. Advance tickets are sold out,...

Female Olympians are Fat! (TW)...

That logo-person is lookin' a little blocky, doncha think? Okay, of course they’re not.  Although I’m sure some of these fit, muscular athletes would qualify as “obese” according to BMI calculations.  (Which are crap, in case you hadn’t picked up on that.) But shaming...

“And by ‘ladies,’ of c...

Just don't add anything to the punch. We don't all drink here. Via Courtney_Walden @ Flickr Perhaps because of the new FB page, or perhaps because of the recent series of eclipses, who knows, we’ve had a minor influx of new posters; quite a few of them men. While we welcome male allies,...

A Really Good Idea (Really!)...

Like any word geek, I always enjoy a good round-up of words and catch phrases that have overstayed their welcome, and was delighted when a friend sent me a link to the website of Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: Word “czars” at Lake Superior State University “unfriended”...

Friday Fun Thread: Mondegreens!...

This has nothing to do with anything other than one of my favorite words:  mondegreen. You all know about mondegreens, even if you’ve never heard the word before.  A mondegreen is a mishearing of a phrase or song lyric.    You know: “What a Friend We Have in Cheeses” or “‘Scuse...

Bloggin’ is Awesome!...

Social networking sites like Facebook have provided, along with the chance to get back in touch with people you haven’t seen in 10 or 20 years, an entirely new realm of the baffling, weird, and offensive that in early days would have flown under our radars.  I’m filing this one under...

The Oxford Comma: A Good Idea...

Although I’m not immune to typos and certainly make my fair share of mistakes, I can be a pedant when it comes to grammar and usage, especially to my students.  But really, it matters, as I noted again this morning, while skimming an AP story on a new stream of evangelical Christians taking their...